3. Biodata: Haji Mohammad Almas Zahid was born 1961 in Rabat village, Bagram District, Parwan Province. He is said to have a arab ethnic background. Almas Zahid completed his secondary education at a high school in Parwan province, and later graduated from twelfth class at Bagram High School in 1978 (now Shafaq Shaheed High School). Before becoming a member of parliament in 2005, Almas Zahid worked as a provincial commander with the Ministry of Defense. He is currently a businessman and owns a well-known restaurant in Kabul.

During the Soviet invasion, Zahid was a renowned Parwan commander of Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan, a jihadi party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. During the civil war that followed the Soviet defeat he switched sides, joining Burhanuddin Rabbani's Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan to fight against Hezb-e-Islami. Under Rabbani's presidency in the 1990s, Zahid was commander of the Fifth Army corps for central Afghanistan covering Kabul, Logar, Maidan Wardak, Parwan and Kapisa provinces.

In Wolesi Jirga Elections 2005 he bagged most votes in the Province. He was the Chairman of Interior Affairs Commission (20091028). Haji Almas ex warlord and businessman, as of mid-2005 was a senior commander in the ministry of defense, stationed in Parwan. He was a middle level commander of Jamiat, Shura-e Nazar party of Ahmed Shah Massoud (assassination on September 9, 2001). Human Rights Watch is listing him as a Human Rights Abuser. Al Haj Muhammad Almas Zahid was reelected MNA 2010 and bagged 4th most votes. He owns a well known Restaurant with Iranian Food in Kabul Wazir Akhbar Khan opposite to Ariana Ticket sales office.

He has owned businesses and exported raisins to Russia in the past. He said his sons run businesses, and his own wealth is around $10 million.

When asked about a construction partnership in a Kabul township he was involved in with the Afghan-Iran Company, he said it had been a bad experience, and that the Iranians had escaped with thousands of dollars they had collected from home buyers. Zahid said he paid the home buyers back.

Zahid leads the Saba Parliamentary group, which was established during the second Parliamentary term and has 38 MPs as members. He believes the special election court that recently disqualified 62 MPs based on a vote recount is illegal and has affected not only Parliament but the entire government. "The cabinet is incomplete and the three powers are paralyzed by the special court," he said.

He denied keeping an illegal militia, but added that Afghans can get arms if the country is invaded.(20110825)

He has 20 bodyguards. (legally only being allowed to have four in his capacity as a Wolesi Jirga Member). (20120516)